Rocker die



March 3l. 1925.

L. M. HARLEY ROCKER DIE Filed July 146- 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIELI.

March 31. 1925.

L. M. HARLEY ROCKER DIE Filed July 1G. 1924 2 sheets-sheet 2 wrm/5565s Patented Mar. 31, 1925.

unimo STATES Partnr Lun ivr, HARLEY, or PITTSBURGH, rnnnsrtvnnrn, assitance To, JAMES H. MAT! Tenure a COMPANY, or rirrsnnen, -r

SYLVANIA.

nNnsYL-vnnin, A conronnmron. on. PENN;

ROCKER DIE.

.ApplicationA filed July 16, 1924. Serialv` 110,]126361.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that LLEE M. HARLEY, re-

siding at Pittsburgh, N. Si., inthe county ofl Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, a citizen of the United States, has invented or discovered certain new and useful Improvements in Rocker Dies,l of which improvements the following is a specification.v

My invention relates to the construction of printing dies, specifically ofy dies which, shaped to a cylindrical surface,l are used 'for printing brands on sheet steel, onpaclring-boxes, and for other such purposes. These dies are ordinarilyv formed oflrubbler, and the actual die body is formed as a rubber sheet removably secured to` a rigid rocker body, to the end that one rocker body may be alternately equipped with a vplural- .ity of die bodies and so the instrument may serve for the printing of an indefinite` variety of brands. Difficulties have attended the use ot these rocker dies with removable rubber die bodies, difficulties due to stretching` of the rubber underv prolonged service, and to inequalities in the amount of stretching, with consequent diiiiculties inl maintaining the die body properly centered on the rocker, and in getting a sharp imprint, from edges and center alike. It, is to the overcoming of diiicultiesof this nature that my invention is primarily addressed. Incidentally, and with further improvement in durability, Ivliave modified the rocker-frame in thewvay ofvsimplification and rigidity.

A rocher die embodying my inve-ntion'is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Fig. I is a viewof the die in rear elevation, and Fig. H is a view in front elevation. Fig. Hl is a vieiv in medial section, in the plane indicated at III-III, Fig. I. lilig.v IV is a View to larger scale and showing in section a detail of l the structure, on the plane indicated at IV-IV, Fig.y Il.

The rocker die is so far of familiar construction that it` includes a frame having a rigid face l, which in shape 'is a section of a cylinder, and handles Q- by which itis carried-and applied; The die body consists of a sheet of rubber 3 (which I preferably form with an inlay of fabric), which sheet Carries molded in relief upon it the die charactersel. It is the faces of these characters which constitute 'the printing faces of the rocker die. Init-s application to the rocker frame the flexible die body is ordinarily backed, asis usual, by an. interposed cush-v ion layery lS. The layer, 118 is ordinarily cemented-.to .the face. ofV the. rocker. y

t is in' `the anchorage ofthe sheet-like die bod-y at its endsy thatV thelirst feature, 0f my ylvnfion is found'. The Cylndrca.l` face l of the carrier is at its ends 'provided with rearward turned flanges.. 5,.` Against. one of these terminal vflanges#:that shown; at the, right, Figs. I and ILIVQ-a clamping band 6 iS removably secured.. "The particu.- lar construction is preferably characterized by these features; the clampingband G is formed of resilient material, lpreferably metal, and is inturned valong one edge,` and it presents to the flangey a concave face. This band, near its ends, isV removably secured to flange 5 by the Wing-n uts which` engage bolts 8 extending fiiom'flaiige 5 and through the web ofthe. band itself, The 'n clamping pressure then comes. immediately upon'band 6 near its "ends,` andv at, inidpoints inl its Width, WhereitI standsI away from the. face of, flange 5, This clearly apfpears in Fig. III. I" remarlrhere that the 8 consequent bite of the'clamping` band, upon the intrudedend of thel rubber die body 3 is'secure, that the bite is adjustable, to take up slack, andv that it ismost secure toward the opposite side edges of the Vrubber die body. Fig. l sliowsjthe preferred yarrange ment, according to which thetvvo, clamping' bolts 8 are spaced apart atan interval somewhat exceeding the Width of the intruded end of the rubber die: body, and. Figgll shows that theintruded end of the'die body may be narrowed somewhat by tapering.

The iange 5 at theopposite en'dgof the carrier-the left-,hand end, Figs. 1,11, and lll-fis provided at its ends rwith bearings 9, and in these vbearings turns a rod,4 lO having a slot through it. At one. eind the slotted rod .lO may be adapted for lmanualrotation, as by flattening, indicated at 1.1.- The rod l0 adjacent one end is provided uf'ith oneor morel notches, andthe frame carries artooth 12 which normally engages a notch .in rod l() and holds the rod.v against rotation inI one direction vatleast. The tooth-is adapted to yield under spring tension and recedefrom engagement Withthe -leased from engagement by it.

notch in the'rod 10, and a push-button 13 is provided to effect such recession, but when the tooth is free it will enter a notch in rod 10, when in the rotation of the rod the notch comes opposite. The notch-andtooth engagement holds the rod 10 against rotation in diereleasing direction.

Operation is as follows. In applying a die body to the frame, one edge of the sheet is first introduced beneath and secured by the clamping band 6. The opposite end of the sheet is vthen introduced through the slot in rod 10. The rod 10 is then rotated until the sheet is drawn taut upon the exterior of the cylindrical face 1 of the frame. As the rod 10` turns, the tooth 12 recedes (it may be in consequence of pressing upon push-button 13, or the notches may be formed as ratchet teeth, to allow such turning in tightening direction) but ultimately, the tooth, engaging a notch, holds the rod against turning in opposite and die-releasing direction.

When a die body is to be removed from the carrier, push-button 13 is pressed downward (Fig. IV) and so the tooth 12 is carried out of the ratchet groove in the rod 10. Rod 10 is then turned, and the die body re-y n kThe wingnuts 7 at the opposite end of the frame are then loosened and the die -body released from bar 6. Manifestly die bodiesmay thus be applied and interchanged at pleasure.

The anchorage is such that when a die body has been applied, the securing means may be loosened and the die body may be grasped at either end and drawn in one direction or the other upon the face of the carrier, and may then be secured in the particular position to which it has thus been brought. In such manner the die body may be accurately placed on the carrier.

Such a die body in prolonged use stretches somewhat.` The rotating ratchet-held rod 10 at one end and the bolt-held clamping band 6 -at the other, both afford take-up means for all consequent looseness. Furthermore, since such fullness may be taken up at either end or in part at each end, the die may be maintained through prolonged service accurately centered on the carrier, and this is a feature of practical importance. In addition, it is to be remarked that when through prolonged service the stretching of the die body has occurred and when, as is the case, this stretching is found to be greater along the opposite side edges than toward the mid-line of the die body, the anchoring means described are such as to take up that irregular fullness and to maintain the die body always smooth upon its carrier. n

I have spoken of the clamping band 6, and particularly of the intensification of the clamping force toward its ends and at the feature of importance, since the strain of service tending to draw the 'die body from its anchorage is greater at the edges than at intermediate points.

It remains to speak ofthe structure of the rocker frame and particularly of certain novel features which, simplifying and. cheapening the structure and making it of lighter weight, strengthens vit at the same time, to endure prolonged service.

The frame is made of sheet metal, preferably of aluminum, and is made of three plates. The cylindrical plate 1 with its back-turned flanges 5 has already been described. The other two plates are indicated at 14 and 15. They in the assembled frame extend in parallel planes, perpendicular to the cylindrical surface of plate 1; their edges are shaped to the curve of the cylinder and they constitute backing for the plate 1, yas clearly appears in Figs. I and II. These plates 14 and 15 are provided at both ends with flanges 16, through which they are riveted' to theflanges 5 of plate 1. Between plates 14 and 15 at opposite ends extend pins 17 on which the spool-like handles 2 of wood turn freely. These pins additionally are bracing and strengthening members for the frame. y f

It will be perceived that these 'plates 14 and 15 secured, as described, are truss members, to prevent any more violent curvature of plate 1, and that they are at the same time tension members, to prevent flattening of the curve under the long-continued tension of die body 3 in service.

-I claimvas my invention:

l. In a printing die the combination of a rigid rocker frame with cylindrical face and a flexible sheet-like die body, the rocker frame being provided at one end with a rearward extending flange, a clamping band of resilient material arranged opposite such flange and presenting to said flange a concave face, and means adjacent the ends of said clamp# ing band for clamping said band to said flange, said rocker frame being further provided aty its opposite end with means for drawing a clamped die body' taut upon the face of the rocker frame. y n

2. In a printing die the combination of a rigid rocker frame with cylindrical face and a flexible sheet-like die body, the rocker frame being provided at one end with a rearward extending flange, means cooperating with such flange and adapted to clamp thereto one end of the dievbody applied upon it, with clamping strain most intense at the side edges lof the die body, such means consisting of a clamping band of resilient ma# terial and adjustable anchorage for securing the clamping band to the said flange at either end, the two anchorages being spaced apart at a distance exceeding the width of edges of the intruded die body. This is a the die body, and means adapted to engage the die body at its opposite end and to draw` named plate and at their edges engaging the l'rst-nained plate from behind and at their ends secured to the first-named plate, and

by such shape and arrangement serving as strengthening. members o't` said first-named plate, and a die body facing said tiret-named plate and secured thereto under tension.

il. n a printing die the combination of a rocker Jframe including a cylindrical plate and two plates extending in planes perpendicular to the cylindrical surface of the firstnamed plate and at their edges engaging the irst-named'plate from behind and at their ends secured tothe first-named plate, and by' 20 such shape and arrangement serving as strengthening members of said first-named plate, bracing pins extending between the two plates last-named and adapted to serve as handles for the instrument, and adie body /2'5 facing said first-named plate and secured thereto under tension.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LEE M. HARLEY.

vWitnesses H. R. VVArm, .Pnno A. ENGLISH. 

